This invention relates generally to vehicle passenger seating and more particularly to a meal tray for a passenger seat unit.
Commercial passenger aircraft seats often include seatback-mounted meal trays for use in consuming meals, holding work items, and the like. These trays typically fold between an upright, stowed position against the seat back of a seat forward of the user, and a lowered, deployed use position. It is known to adapt passenger seat meal trays to carry graphic displays with passenger information or advertisements.
These displays are subject to theft or vandalism and must be protected. However, the time available for changing the displays between flights is short, and therefore it is undesirable to employ a mounting structure which is too complex. There is therefore a need for a display mounting device and system and is adapted particularly to the public transportation environment, for example, aviation, rail and bus transportation.
Accordingly, there is an object of the invention to provide for a meal tray with a secure yet easily-changed structure for displaying advertising or similar graphical materials.
This and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by providing a meal tray assembly for being carried by an aft-facing side of a seat back for use by a person seated aft of the seat back. The meal tray assembly includes a tray mountable to the seat back and movable between a stowed position generally flush with the seat back and a deployed position generally perpendicular to the seat back. The tray includes a first shell having a forward facing surface when in the stowed position and a second shell for mating with the first shell and having a rearward facing surface towards the aft-seated person when in the stowed position. A major recess is defined in the rearward facing surface of the second shell. An inwardly facing elongate flanged is carried by the rearward facing surface of the second shell and extending towards the major recess. A flexible screen is provided for being positioned in the recess by an interference fit between the inwardly facing flange and an engaging surface of the major recess.
According to another embodiment, the major recess further defines a minor recess about a periphery of the major recess for providing clearance to corners of the screen.
According to another embodiment, the screen is generally flush with the engagement surface when positioned in the major recess.
According to another embodiment, the assembly further includes an insert positioned between the first shell and the second shell at about the inwardly facing flange for increasing the strength of the inwardly facing flange.
According to another embodiment, the screen has graphics provided thereon.
According to another embodiment, the assembly further includes a graphical display sheet for being positioned between the screen and the second shell.
According to another embodiment, the thickness of the screen is equal to about the distance between a fore facing side of the inwardly facing flange when the tray is in the stowed position and the engaging surface of the recess.
According to another embodiment, the inwardly facing flange comprises a first pair of spaced-apart, opposing flanges carried on laterally extending sides of the rearward facing surface of the second shell.
According to another embodiment, the width of the screen is greater than the distance between respective inwardly facing surfaces of the first pair of spaced-apart opposing flanges.
According to another embodiment, the inwardly facing flange comprises a second pair of spaced-apart, opposing flanges carried on longitudinally extending sides of the rearward facing surface of the second shell.
According to another embodiment, the height of the screen is greater than the distance between respective inwardly facing surfaces of the second pair of spaced-apart, opposing flanges.
According to another embodiment, the first shell defines a recess that corresponds in shape with the major recess of the second shell to provide mutual engagement of the first and second shells.
According to another embodiment, the first shell defines a meal tray recess on the fore facing side.
According to another preferred embodiment, a meal tray assembly is provided for being carried by an aft-facing side of a seat back for use by a person seated aft of the seat back. The assembly includes a tray mountable to the seat back and movable between a stowed position generally flush with the seat back and a deployed position generally perpendicular to the seat back, the tray including a first shell having a forward facing surface when in the stowed position and a second shell for mating with the first shell and having a rearward facing surface towards the aft-seated person when in the stowed position. A major recess is defined in the rearward facing surface of the second shell. An inwardly facing elongate flanged is carried by the rearward facing surface of the second shell and extending towards the major recess. A flexible screen is provided for being positioned in the recess by an interference fit between the inwardly facing flange and an engaging surface of the major recess. An insert is positioned between the first shell and the second shell at about the inwardly facing flange for increasing the strength of the inwardly facing flange.